Shank-stiffener



(No Model.)

O. F. BAKER.

v SHANK STIFFENER.

No. 362,923. Patented May 17'7, '1887.

N,.PETERS. Photo'uxhognplwr, wuhingmn. 0,6.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. BAKER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

sHANK-STIFFEER.

SPECIFICATION 'forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,923, dated May 1'7, 188'7.

Application filed March 9, 1887. Serial No. 230,193. (No model.)

To aZZ wz'om it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLEs F. BAKER, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Shank-Stifi'eners, of which the following description, in connection With the aecompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to stiffeners for the shanks of boots or shoes, and has for its object to provide a Wire stiffener of serpentine form, which in practice may be fastened at both ends, the defleetions of the stiffener extending across the shank in the direetion of its width.

Prior to my invention I am aware that'wire has been used to replace the usual fiat steel shank, the said Wire being bent to form three parallel arms extended longitudinally in the shank. Such a spring possesses many advantages over the ordinary flat steel shank-stiffener; but in practice it has been found that, among other things, the said open-end Wire spring shank-stiffener does not prevent the boot or shoe to which it is applied from twisting.

I have ascertained by experiment that a shank-stiffener composed of spring-Wire may be made to posscss all the advantagos of the open-end Wire spring shank-stiftener, and the additional advantage not possessed by the same-namely, that of preventing the boot or shoe from twistingprovided the defiections of the Wire extend crosswise of the shank; and as the result of my experimenls I have produeed a novel shank-stiffener eomposed of a Wire serpentine in form for apartor the Whole of the length of the Wire7 as will be described.

Myinvention therefore consists, essentially, of a shank-stiffener composed of a Wire bent into serpentine form, the deflections of the Wire extending across the shank.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal Vertical section of a shoe having my improved serpentine spring- Wire stiffener applied thereto; Fig. 2, a view of the stiffener removed from the shoe, and Fig. 3 a modified form of stiffener.

Referring to Fig. l, A represents a boot 01' shoe having applied between itsinner sole, a, and its outcr sole, a', my improved serpentine spring-Wire stiffener b, it havingone end fastened near the ball and the other at the heel of the shoe by nails Z/,or other suitable fastening device.

The serpentine spring-Wire shank-stiffener is formed of a single piece of Wire of sufficient size and strength to restore the boot or shoe to its normal or original shape whenever the pressure, which acts to distort or force the boot or shoe from its original shape, is removed.

The single piece of Wire :from which my improved shank-stiffener is made may be twisted or made serpentine thronghout its length, as shown in Fig. 2; or it may be twisted or made serpentine for a portion of its length, as in Fig. 8, the delleotions of the Wire extending across the shank, prcferably obliquely to the length of the said shank, the Wire on either side of the serpentine portion, as shown in Fi'. 3, being straight, except at the ends, Where it is bent to form an eye, bt, for the reception of the nail or other fastening device. The-Wire being bent at its ends, as shown, prevents the said ends from cutting into the leather or other stock.

My improved serpentine-Wire shank-stiffener possesses all the advantages of the openend Wire shank-stiflener-such as the driving of pegs or nails in tapping or resoling, and in peggin g on the shank-filling-and, in addition, it possesses suflicient stiffness and strength, by virtue of its serpentine form, to prevent the boot or shoe from twisting, and thns spoiling its shapc.

Furthermore, the serpentine form of stiffener enablcs the stiffener to be rigidly fastencd'at both ends, the said twisted or curved portions of the stiffener being compressed together, after the manner of a spiral spring, When abnormal pressure is exerted upon it.

I have herein shown my improvcd shankstiffener as fastened at the ends, but, if desired, it may be fasteued at the center or at any other portion of its length.

I claim- The hereindeseribcd spring-Wire shankstiffener, composed of a single Wire bent or twisted into serpentine form for some portion of its length, the detleetions extending in the direction of the width of the shank, to operate as and for the purpose set forth.

'In testimony Whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two snbscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. BAKER.

Vitnesses:

BERNICE J. NoYEs, J. H. OHUROHILL.

IOO 

